After rounding the head of a steep valley, we reached a set of metal plaques that marked the official end of the via ferrata Fausto Susatti. We could now safely take off our gear. At the same time, we took another quick snack break - as well as finishing off our bottle of wine.
The way back from here was just a regular hike: downhill through pleasant forest greenery, hair-pinning back and forth down the steep slopes above Lake Garda, which we would occasionally glimpse through the trees. Eventually we joined up with the network of old tracks above Riva, and these led us down to Il Bastione, the old ruined guard tower that stands above the old section of Riva.
Now walking with the many tourists who make the journey up to the Bastione from town, we wound our way down a wide stone-finished path, reaching the edge of town at 4:30pm. A few minutes later we walked through the Porta San Marco, and immediately spotted Luke and Kate sitting at a table outside a bar, eating servings of gelato. Perfect timing!
Note: If you are interested in a more "guidebook"-like description of the Via Ferrata Fausto Susatti, please visit
this description on my dedicated Via Ferrata page.
We had our last dinner in Italy at the Leon D'Oro Restaurant underneath our apartment. Again, the food was excellent. And again, the service was something less than optimal. This time, the recipient of an excessively late dish was myself. Even asking for another bottle of mineral water proved to be difficult. After waiting a solid twenty minutes for it, I had to go up to the bar and explicitly retrieve it.
After dinner, we took one last walk along Riva's scenic waterfront piazza. It had been, like it always is, a pleasant stay.